Thursday, October 26, 1995 - Isla Margarita, Venezuela

Ate breakfast downtown at a place called TropiBurger, which is sort of a Venezuelan McDonald's. They didn't begin to have the number of employees McDonald's has; there were only two or three. We got a kick out of their cutting the straw in half and just giving me half a straw! Well, that's one way to save money. Went to the Avis car rental place at the Bella Vista Hotel to find out how much it would cost to rent a jeep for a day. It was the equivalent of $30, including mileage and insurance, so we made a reservation for tomorrow. We'll be able to drive over the entire island in one day. We caught a bus to Juan Griego on the north side of the island. The countryside was much prettier and greener that that we went through yesterday. There were small mountains all around us. Went through a mountain pass. Juan Griego was a pleasant seaside town. We ate lunch at a sidewalk restaurant that left a lot to be desired. Roy had a ham, sausage, and cheese sandwich. I made the mistake of ordering a mixed salad. Of course, it consisted of everything I don't like -- cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, and raw onions. Fortunately, Roy helped me eat it. We strolled down to the waterfront. There was a pleasant, shady plaza, that was in the process of being repaved. After wandering around for a while, we returned to Porlamar and then Pampatar.